1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to seats for motor vehicles, and more particularly, to a child seat assembly for use in motor vehicles.
2. General Background of the Invention
It has become increasingly desirable to place special seating apparatuses in motor vehicles to accommodate children. For instance, a typically rear-facing infant seat may be utilized to sufficiently restrain an infant and enable the infant to safely ride in a motor vehicle. Some of these conventional infant seats are at least generally immobilized, relative to an integrated, adult-accommodating seat of the motor vehicle, by extending a seat belt of the motor vehicle through at least a portion of the infant seat and/or by interconnecting one or more support straps of the infant seat with a frame of the motor vehicle.
Once it is determined that a child has outgrown (e.g., is too tall and/or heavy to be appropriately accommodated by) an above-mentioned infant seat, the infant seat is typically removed from the motor vehicle and replaced by a toddler seat that may be utilized to sufficiently restrain a toddler and enable the toddler to safely ride in the motor vehicle. At least generally like conventional infant seats, these conventional toddler seats are at least generally immobilized, relative to the integrated, adult-accommodating seat of the motor vehicle, by extending a seat belt of the motor vehicle through at least a portion of the toddler seat and/or by interconnecting one or more support straps of the toddler seat with the frame of the motor vehicle.
However, children also tend to outgrow these toddler seats, and it typically becomes desirable to remove the above-mentioned toddler seat from the motor vehicle and replace the same with a booster seat that may be utilized to sufficiently restrain a young child and enable the child to safely ride in the motor vehicle. These booster seats are also typically fastened into the motor vehicle using a seat belt of the motor vehicle and/or one or more support straps of the booster seat.
Regardless of the particular models utilized, the designs of these special child seating apparatuses has generally required parents/guardians of children to purchase an infant seat, a toddler seat, and a booster seat through the growth of the child. Along with the purchases of at least three different child-accommodating seats over the time the child develops/grows has typically come a significant cost to the parent/guardian.
As an alternative, some vehicle seats have been equipped with a child seat contained therein, commonly referred to as an integrated child seat. However, designs of these conventional integrated child seats have enable such integrated child seats to only be useful during a short portion of a child's life, thus still requiring the purchase of one or more of an infant seat, a toddler seat, and a booster seat. For example, a motor vehicle may include an integrated booster seat, but the integrated booster seat is generally not suitable for accommodating an infant and/or toddler. Thus, the vehicle owner may still have to purchase an infant seat and/or toddler seat to sufficiently accommodate the owner's child(ren).